Levaillant's Woodpecker

Picus vaillantii

A medium-sized green woodpecker with a gray face, black mustache, and pale eye; the only green woodpecker in its range. Similar to Iberian Green Woodpecker, found across the Strait of Gibraltar, but ranges do not overlap. Breeds in open dry forest and adjacent wooded parks and plantations in the mountains and foothills of the Atlas range; often in areas with oaks and conifers. Gives a loud, laughter-like “kee-hahahaha”, as well as a series of short “tik” notes. Often gives a fast, even drum.

Identification

Levaillant's woodpecker is 30–33 cm in length with a 45–51 cm wingspan. It is very similar to the European green woodpecker and the Iberian Green woodpecker (especially females). Both Levaillant's woodpecker and the Iberian Green woodpecker were formerly considered subspecies of P. viridis.<p>Levaillant's woodpecker is dark green above and yellowish green below, with a crimson nape. The black moustache has a pale border above. The rump is chrome yellow and the outer webs of the primaries are barred black and white. The bill and feet are slate grey.<p>Sexes are similar except that the male has a crimson crown, whereas the female's crown is grey. Like .P. v. sharpei, both sexes lack the black on the lores and around the eye shown by most forms of the green woodpecker.<p>The call is a loud ringing laugh, plue, plue, plue, very like the green woodpecker's yaffle, but perhaps slightly faster.

Taxonomy

Levaillant's woodpecker is sometimes considered a subspecies of the European green woodpecker. It is monotypic, meaning it has no subspecies. <p>This species was named in honour of the French explorer, collector and ornithologist, François Le Vaillant.

Scientific name
Picus vaillantii
Authority
(Malherbe, 1847)
Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae
Genus
Picus

Range and habitat

Levaillant's woodpecker is found in the three Maghreb countries Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in northwest Africa. It breeds in mountain forests up to the treeline at around 2000m.

Migration
Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend
unknown

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Piping Plover

Piping Plover

Charadrius melodus

Small, plump, pale plover; the color of dry sand. In breeding plumage look for thin broken black collar across chest, black stripe across forehead, orange legs, and orange bill with black tip. Nonbreeding and immature birds have black bills and sandy-colored breastbands. White wingstripe visible in flight. Notably paler than other small plovers, with the exception of Snowy, from which Piping is distinguished by thicker bill and orange legs. Sometimes seen near other shorebirds, but rarely ventures far from the high, dry side of the beach. Often quite vocal; gives a sad-sounding two-parted whistle that drops in pitch: "pwee-doo." A species of great conservation concern, due to coastal development and disturbance at nesting sites on beaches.

Belford's Melidectes

Belford's Melidectes

Melidectes belfordi

A large, common honeyeater of upper montane cloud forest. Body gray with white scaling on the back, olive wing feathers and buffy under the base of the tail. Black head with prominent white facial stripe from the base of the bill, pale blue eye ring and bare facial skin behind the eye with a small white line behind it. Similar to Cinnamon-browed and Yellow-browed Melidectes and it hybridizes with the latter. Belford’s however has blue facial skin, dark bill and lacks red wattles.

Red-browed Treecreeper

Red-browed Treecreeper

Climacteris erythrops

A gray-brown treecreeper with a rusty red eyebrow and pale throat and chest. Belly strongly streaked white.Viewed from behind, gray head contrasts with browner back. (White-throated Treecreeper has a brownish head and brownish back.) In flight, shows a broad pale wing-bar. Works its way up tree trunks. Usually found in very wet eucalypt forests; overlaps in habitat with White-throated Treecreeper. Calls are more raspy and insect-like than in White-throated Treecreeper.

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